Pumping system



B. S. AIKMAN.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPucATloN FILED JuLY 22.1911.

Patented Aug. i5, i922.

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Patnted Aug ,"1929 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

B.'S. AIKIVIAN.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION H'LED JULY 27,19l7.

mentali Aug. 15, 19122.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.-

B. s. AIKMAN.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27.1917.

1,425,928, Patented. Aug. 15, 1922.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

:BURTON s. AIKMAN, OE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR To NATIONAL BRAKE a ELECTRIC COMPANY, OE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, n CORPORATION or WISCONSIN.

EUMPING SYSTEM.

p Application led July 27,

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, BURTON S. AIKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVIilWaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wviscomsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pumping Systems, ot which the -following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, tormin a part of this Specification.

My invention relates to pumping systems and more particularly to systems of the class in which the pump is submerged in the water ot the well or other source of supply and discharges into a consumption system suoli as the pipes and faucets of a dwelling or the like, the opening and closing of the faucets controlling starting and Stopping ot' the pump.

Pumps of this class are generally operated upon compressed air. Heretotore it has been customary to control the admission and exhaust Oi the compressed air to and from the pump cylinder by means of float controlled valves located within the pump Cylinder or cylinders at the foot of the well.

According to the present invention the controlling valves are placed at the head of the well.

IIeretofore it has been customary to employ a double cylinder pump for obtaining a -steady flow in the consumption system. Ac-

cording to my invention I provide what is Yknown as an air Spring for smoothing out the inequalties in low in the consumption system caused by the intermittent strokes ot the single cylinder pump.

My invention :further provides for a combined use of this air spring with the controlling valves for operating the pump. Instead of employing a lioat control valve in the pump cylinder itself at the toot of the well, I employ a float valve in the air spring which is operated by the rise and :tall of the level of water, in this air spring for admittinfr and exhausting air 4to and from the pump.

This level control valve may operate to control the compressed air directly or may operate through relay means for controlling the working ot the pump.

In order to advise those skilled in tie ar how to practice my invention I shall describe the same in connection With the ac- Specification of Letters Patent. Pgpfguitd Aug. I5, i922.

1917. Serial No. 183,097.

companying drawings which form a part of f v `the present specilication, illustrating a spe-` ciiic embodiment in which the invention may appear.

vFigure l is a diagramof the system embodying my invention; igure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the air springshowing the controlling valve and the operating element 01"' the relay device;

Figure 8 a vcross-Sectionaly view of the controlling valve operated bythe relay device Shown in the lower left hand corner of Figure 2:

Figure etk is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the pump cylinder;

Figure 5 is a diagram of a modification of my invention;

Figure 6 shows a cross-'section of the inastervalve, the relay operating element and the controlled valve used in the system of Figure 5; v l d Figure 7 illustrates a modification of Fig-' ure 5 in which a further relay operating element and valve are employed, the connection ybetween the relay element at the top of the well and the valve at the footl of the vwell Leing through a rod;` and I Figure 8 is a diagramof a diiiferent moditication of the system of Figure 5 in which a relay and valve element is placedat the foot of thewell and the relay element operated by compressed air conducted from the vvalve at the head oi the well. y

In the diagram of Figures lto a the pump and to the distributing main 5 which dis.-

tributing main leads in. turn to the system sii '9o cylinder l .is submerged inthe water in the and faucets such as shown at 130 in Figure l in a residence or the like@ The main reser-` voir or tanlr 6 is charged with compressed air at the proper pressure and suppliesfair to the `pump cylinder l by way ot the pipe 7, the pipe 8 and the controlling valve 9. `The air spring comprises a tank or reservoir partly Iilled with water and partly iilled with air at the proper pressure. The proper pressure oi" air is maintained by the reducer valve l0 in the pipe ll which connectstlie tank 6 with the air spring il.; The vair spring 4C is connected to the discharge-pipe 3 and the delivery pipe 5 by means ofthe iiov T 19 and the short connection 13. rlhe air spring a comprises a tank having an annular screw socket member 16 at the upper end thereof for receiving a screw plug 17 which screw plug` contains the master valve 18 and provides a connection for the pipe 11 by Way of the port 19 communicating with the interior or the cylinder or tank 15. The valve 18 governs an admission port 20 and an exhaust port 21 and contains also a passageway 22 leading to the relay operating element 23 Which consists oit a pneumatic cylinder 24: and a piston The valve 18 is connected by a stem 25 to a lever 27 pivoted upon the bracket 28. This lever 2T is operated by the lloat 30 through the following mechanism. A central supporting rod 31 extends from the lovver surface oiI 'the plug 17 to a point adjacent the bottom ol the tank 15. A bracketl 32 is secured to this rod and a short lever 38 is pivoted thereupon. The lever 88 is connected at one end by means of the rod 84 With thev float 39 and at the other end is connected to a transmis sion rod 85 which is connected. to the outer end of the lever 227. The lever is a :lirst class lever and the lever 2'? isa second class lever so that the motion of the float upward throvvs the valve 18 down upon its seat 2O and vice versa. rlhe port 22 in vthe plug 17 is connected by Way ol' the pipe 86 to the op# erating cylinder 24C.

rlhe pump 1 comprises a head member 87 and a root member 88 between which is secured a barrel member 89. rThe head member has connection vWith the Water discharge pipe 8 by way of the passage e9. rllhis passage is connected at the center or axis of the pump with a pipe l41 inside the barrel 39. rlhis pipe 41 entends down to the loiver end of the barrel 89 Where it is connected to a valve casing 42. The valve casing /l-Q contains a check valve governing the flow of liquid between the pipe l1 and the interior of the barrel 39. Ports la lead from the lower part ot the barrel 39 to the interior oity the valve member 4t2. The valve casing- 119' connected by means ot a central axial bolt a5 'to the ioot member 88 so that the head. and toot members are securely clamped to gether. The 'foot member 38 has a valve passage 4G governed by the foot valve 47. These valve passages' are covered by a conical screen 48 Which prevents the entry oic foreign matter into the pump barrel. The head member 87 has a connection for the short pipe t9 Which connects With the union 50 to the controlling valve 9 as shown in Figure 3.

rlfhe union 50 is shown in section in Fig ure 3. lt consists of a 'funnel shaped top portion 51 for guiding the threaded reduced portion 52 of the casing of the valve 9 into the threads oi" the union. The valve 9 comprises a cylindrical casing 54 having a transverse exhaust outlet 55 leading to the valve port 5G at the lovver end of the casing 5e.

T he upper end of tl casing` is closed by a cap member 57 which has an axial passage 58 therethrough terminating in an annular 1im 59 which forms a valve seat governed by the movable valve'member 60. rl`he valve member 60 comprises an upper yielding seat 61 mounted upon a cylindrical barrel 62 and a lower yielding seat 68 mounted upon a central rod 54.

The barrel 62 has an annular ring 65 which embraces the stem ('34` The stem @Ll has a shoulder or ilange 66 its upper end.

Thus the tvvo parts of the valve have a lost motion between them. Ilhe valve GO Ais secured by a grooved guide member 67 to the valve rod 68 which entends up through the pipe 8 and connects with the piston Q5 in the cylinder 9A, Near its upper end the rod 68 is connected to a small piston 69 litt'ng Within a cylinder 70 formed as a continuation of the loiver end oit the cylinder 211i. The space be- 'tvveeu 'the pistons and 69 is open to the atmosphere throu h the port 7l.

rllhc operation or this system is as fellows:

Assume that the tank 6 is properly filled Awith compressed air at` the right pressure and that the pump 1 is submerged in the Water oli the vieil, when faucets oit the distributing main 5 are opened the Water will tend to 'lovv out. lThis lowers the level of the Water in the tank 15, as a consequence the float 50 drops7 closing the exhaust valve pas sage 2l and opening the admission port or p-Lssag 29 to the pipe 35 and the relay operating cylinder Air at the pressure prerailing in the tank 15 is thereby admitted to the cylinder 2a driving the piston 25 and rod 88 downward. Movement olf the rod G8 downward opens the admission port 59 permitting compressed air to l'low from the main tank G by Way or the pipes 7 and 8 to the body o' the valve 9 down to the interior of the pump 1 by Way olf the pipe ith 'the Water in the pump is then driven out by Way ot.' the discharge pipo 3 to the deilvery main 5, part of Vthe Water seing driveil into the air saring l-9 partially filling the tank l5. ,lis the level oit the water in the tank 15 rises the -lloat 80 rises and moves the valve 18 down upon its seat closing the admission port 2O and opening the exhaust port 21. This per mits the compressed air in the cylinder 24 to exhaust. The compressed air in the pipe 8 operating against the small piston 69 moves the piston and connected rod G8 upward closing'the admission port 59 and opening the exhaust port 56. lt can be seen that the piston 69 and rod G8 are free to move upward almost to the point or closing the admission port 59 before the exhaust port 55 is opened duc to the lost motion connection between the tivo valves.

It will be noted that the piston 25 is operated upon compressed air or' the reduced pressure prevailing in the tank 15. .The pressure prevailing below the piston 69 `in the pipe 8 is that of the tank 6. The areas of these pistons are proportioned to secure proper operation in opening and closing the controlling valve. The structure of the operating' element 23 may be varied as may also thestructure oli' the controlling valve 9, except as these are made essential in the following claims. The structure of the float control valve may also be varied in the broader aspects of my invention as may the operating element 23 and the control valve 9, the particular forms and structures are as I have found suitable to carry out the operation of the device but are not essential to the broad purpose of the invention.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have illustrated a modified form of the invention. In this system the pump 1 is adapted to be submerged in the water at the bottom of the well 2, the pump having a water discharge pipe 3 connected with the air spring L and with the distributing main 5. The pump also has an air pipe running from the control valve 76 down to the head of the pump. The control valve 76 is mounted directly upon the plug 77 which is adapted to be screwed into the annular socket 7 8 at the top 'of the tank 15.

rIhe plug 77 bears upon its lower surface a supporting rod 79 to which is pivoted at the point 80 a bell crank operating lever 81., the one arm of which lever 81 is connected to a collar 82 on the valve stem 83 of a movable valve 84 having an admission port 85 and an exhaust port 86. This valve I term the master valve. The opposite end of the bell crank lever 81 is connected by a pin 87 to a spring 88, the other end of which spring is connected to a pin 89 on the float lever 90. rThe iloat lever 90 comprises a bell crank lever bearing the float 91 on the one arm and the pin 89 on the other arm. To prevent the float from carrying past center a stop 92 and pin 93 on the lever and on the supporting arm 79 respectively are provided. It can be seen that the combination of the two bell crank levers and 7 the spring 88 provides a snap operating mechanism for the valve 84. The plug 77 bears a diaphragm chamber 95, the interior of which communicates with the valve ports and 86 by way of the valve passage 96. diaphragm 97 having a piston member 98 closes oil the diaphragm chamber 95. The piston 98 is connected by means of a stem 99 with a double valve structure 100 having an exhaust port 101 served by the movable valve member 102 and an admission port 103' served by the movable element 10d. A spring member 105 in the cage of the valve 76 tends to hold the valve 100 in such position as to close oil' the admission port 103. The pipe 75 which leads down to the pump, as shown in Figure 5, communicates either with the compressed'air supply pipe 106 whichleads to the tank 6 or it communicates withv the exhaust opening` 107 on the upper side ofthe diaphragm 9|, y y

The operation of this device is substan-v tially the same as the previously described embodiment, the diaphragm 97 and double valve 100 serving as an. operating element and as a control valve, respectively, governed by the mastervvalve 84:. Assuming that the pump 1 is full of water and that the consumption system is opened as by opening a faucet, the level in the tank 15 drops causing the tloat 91 to assume the position shown in .Figure 6. Air at the reduced pressure prevailing in the tank 15 passes through the port 85, passage 96, to the diaphragm chamber or cylinder 95, pushing the diaphragm and piston upward and closing oii1 the'exhaust port 101 and opening the admission port 103 thereby permitting compressed air at tank pressure to pass through the pipe 106 .to the pipe 75 and thence down to the pump. The air thus admitteddrives the water out of thepump into thedischarge main 3, part of the water going to the dis" tributing main 5 andv a part of the same going into the tank 15 to raise the level of the water therein.

When the level of water in the tank 15 has risen to the proper point the `iioat 91 will rise i'ar enough to throw the operating lever 81 to the other side of the center,` thereby shifting the master valve 84 to open the exhaust port 86 and close the admission port 85. As the air escapes through thel eX- haust port 86, the spring 105 moves the double valve downward, closing off the admission port 103 and opening the exhaust port 101. lIhis permitsthe air inthe pipe 75 and in the pump 1 to escape. it the same time the pump 1 iills with water from the well.

It can be seen that the water in the tank 15 forms an artilicial level which. varies with the amount oit water discharged from the pump 1 that is to say, the level rises and falls with each stroke of the pump. The float control valve mechanism comprises means responsive to this artiiicial level 'for operating the admission and exhaust valves oit the pump inv accordance therewith for controlling the individual strokes of the pump.

In Figures 7 and 8 I have indicated diagrammatically modications of the system shown in Figure 5 in which a further relay control valve control valve located in the well near the pump. These relay mechanisms are employed particularly where the well is deep and the capacity of the pipe 75 would be so great as t0 entail a noticeable loss by-the is employedfor operating a exhaust ot the quantity of air Which this pipe would contain. lt can be seen with each stroke of the pump the cubical contents oi". the pipe are lost by opening ot the eX- haust.

ln the diagram ot Figure 7 Aa cylinder 110 and an operating piston 111 are employed to operate the valve 112 near the pump 1 at the loot ot the Well. This valve comprises a movable valve body 113 serving an admission port 114- and an exhaust port 115. T he movable valve body 113 is connected through thev piston 111 by means oi' rod 116. rllhe relay cylinder 110 is in this form connected to the controlling valve Z6 by means oi the pipe 7 5 instead of the pipe 75, as shown in liisfure 5. Compressed air is conveyed from the tank 6 by Way ot the pipe 117 and 118 to the controlling valve 112.

lt is also obvious that instead ot using a solid rod 116 a column of liquid might be employed or the operating element might be located at the 'loot ot the Well and operated by compressed air. ln Figure 8 l have shown the operating cylinder 11S locatedl at the toot of the vvell adjacent the'pump 1 for operating the movable valve element 119 which controls a valve passage 120. rlfhe movable piston 121 bears a yielding tace 121 adapted to engage the seat 120 closing ofi the exhaust port 123 when the passage is opened.

The pipe 1211 is adapted to convey air from the control valve 76 being connected in place ot the pipe 7 5 shown inlligure 5. The pipe 125 is adapted to convey compressed air atthe pressure oliY the tank G to the valve 119 and thus to the pump 1.

llt is apparent that the'invention may appear in other forms and may be used for other purposes.

l claim:

1. .ln combination a single cylinder pneumatic displacement pump having inlet and discharge check valves for liquid. a normall.v closed faucet controlled pressure delivery system connected to the pump through said discharge check valve, a source oit compressed air, said delivery system compris- 'ing a chamber tor maintaining a variable level ot liquid under pressure suiiicient to stall the pump when the delivery system is closed, a control valve tor governing admission and exhaust ot motive tluid to and from the pump foreach stroke and means moving with said variable level governing said control valve.

2. ln combination, a single cylinderpneu- .matic displacement pump adapted to be submerged in the `Water in. the Well, a normally closed 'faucet controlled delivery system connected to said pump, a source of compressed air for operating the pump and a float valve at the head olE the Well 'for conc Lessines 'trolling the individual strokes oi the pump by admitting compressed air to and exhausting the same from the pump cylinder, said delivery system being adapted to deliver the Water to outlets lying a substantial distance above the float valve.

3. ln combination, a single cylinder pneumatic displacement pump adapted to be submerged in the Water in the well, a normally closed faucet controlled delivery system connected to said pnmn, a soiuice oi motive li uid for operating said pump, a controlling valve tor controlling each stroke ot the pump, said valve being located at the head of the vvcll and level controlled means at the h of the Well for governing said valve means, said deliif'ery system being maintained under suiiicient pressure to deliver Water to outlets lying a substantial distance above said level controlled means.

ln combination, single cylinder pneumatic displacement pump adapted to be submerged in the Water at the bottom o1' the normally closed 'faucet controlled 'v sy tem connected to said primo, means 'for maintaining` a Water level. head oLt the well responsive to the individual stroke ot the pump and valve means controlled by the variations in Water level at the head o'l': the Welllior controlling 'the admission of motive fluid to the pump cylinder at the toot of the Well, said delivery system being maintained under pressure suitable 'to deliver Water to outlets lying a substantial distance above the Water level at the houd oit the Well.

v' ,n combination, a single cylinder pump ed to be submerged in the liquidto be ped, a source of compressed air, an air a pipe connecting the pump and the element in said air spring, said valvev controlling the admission and exhaust of air to and Vl'i'om the pump.

Tfn cmnbination, a single cylinder pump adapted to be submerged in the liquid to be pumped, a tank con'nnunicating with said' pump, a supply main communicating with the tank and the pump, means for mainaining a pressure .in said tank invariablyy above atmosphere, a lioat controlled element in said tank, a master valve' controlled by said Afloat and a control. valve controlling the admission and exhaust ot' the pump governed by said master valve.

'i'. A single cylinder pump adapted to'be submerged in the liquid to be pumped, a compressed air tank a tank serving as an air spring, a connection between the pump and the air spring tank, a distrilniting system communicating with the air spring, said air spring bei supplied with compressed air at a reduced pressure, a float in said tank, a master valve controlled by said float, a refing, a valve having a lioat controlled lay operating element controlled by air at rediued pressure i'rom the air spring tank and a controlling valve governed by said operating element for controlling the admission and exhaust ot compressed air to and from the pump.

8. ln combination, a pump, a source oi.

motive iiuid, a discharge pipe, a vdistributing` main, an air spring tank connected to said pipe and said main, a valve body closing ofi' the top ot the tank, means for supplying` said tank invariably With motive iiuid Iat reduced pressure, a valve in said valve body and a 'float in the tank cont-rolling said valve, and means operated by the compressed air at reduced pressure and controlled l i said valve for governing the individual stroke of the pump.

ln combination, a source of motive l, an air spring tank having an openg at the top et the same, a valve body lising plug for closing said top, said valve body having a communicating opening theretlirough for maintaining motive fluid, at a predetermii'ied pressure -invarablyhigher than atmosphere in the tank, an unobstructed connection at the bottom of the tank for 'admitting Water under pressure, `a su porting rod connected to the bottom oi' said valve bodyl and depending into the tank, a iloat mevably mounted with respect to said supporting rod and a valve element in the valve body movable in response to the move'- ment ot said float.

10. In combination, a source of motive fluid, a tank having an opening at the top, a plug for closing said opening, said plug comprising a valve body, a passage through said plug for providing motive fluid. a valve stem projecting from the `valve body to the interior oi the tank, an exhaust passage, a cylinder passage, a passage between the interior oi the tank and said valve body, said last passage comprising an admission passage, said exhaust and said admission passages being' controlled by the valve in said valve body, and a separate pump cylinder controlled by said valve.

1l. In combination, a pump adapted to be submerged in the Water at the bottom `of the Well, an air controlling valve for said pump at the toot of the Well near the pump, an air spring at the head of the well, said air spring being constantly maintained under pressure to smooth out the discharge between strokes ol the pump, a discharge pipe connecting the pump and the air spring, a delivery ina-in communicating with the discharge pipe and the air spring, an operating element for vthe control valve at the head of the Well, and a float controlled valve governed by the variations of level of Water in the air spring for controlling the operation of said operating element.

19. In combination, an air spring tank, said tankbeing constantly maintained under pressure, an opening at the top of the tank, a plug for said opening, said plug having a supporting lrod connected to the lovver surface thereof, a loat movable on said supporting rod, said plug comprising a valve, a diaphragm chamber mountedon said plug, a control valve connected to said diaphragm chamber, a movable valveI element controlled by the diaphragm in said' chamber, and means controlled by said last named valve ior varying the Water level in said tank.

13.1n combination, a tank, saidtank being constantly maintained under pressure, avalve body at the top of the tank, a supporting rod connected tosaid valve body and projecting dovvn into the tank, a float movably mounted on said supporting rod, a valve in said valve body, and means controlled by said valve for varying the level of Water in` said tank by the introduction of liquid thereinto, said valve being controlled by said float. f

14. ln combination, a tank, said tank being constantly maintained yunder pressure, a valve body mounted at the top of said tank and having a supporting rod pro- -iecting into the tank, a movable tloatmember supported on said rod, a Avalve in said valve body, a diaphragm chamber having a diaphragm mounted on said ,valve body, said valve controlling the admission'and eX- haust of motive fluid to said diaphragm chamber, and a control valve governed by the movement of said diaphragm.

ln combination, a pump, a discharge pipe comprising a faucet controlled delivery system, a source oi' motive fluid, an air spring having unrestricted communication with the pump, a valve governing the effective application of the motivefluid to the pump for each stroke, and a float subject to the level of the Water in the air spring governing' said valve, said delivery system being maintained under suiiicient pressure at all times to deliver Water to outlets a substantial distance above the level in the air spring.

1G. In combination, a single cylinder pump, -a source of motive fluid, a discharge pipe invariably under pressure, an air spring communicating at all times With the dis-v chargepipe, a float in the air spring, and valve mea-ns governed by the float forgoverning the eiiectiveA application of the motive fluid to the pump foreach stroke thereof,

said delivery system being maintained under sufficient pressure at all times to deliver Water to outlets a substantial distance above the level in the air spring. f

17. In combination, a pump, a source of motive fluid, a delivery system, an air spring connected With the delivery system, a restroke thereof.

valve between the source ott motive nd the air ing, a vfloat in the air a motor o ited by Said reduced pressure and eontic-led by said float, and a valve governed by the motor to control etlsplieation of motive l[luid from said 1^ ld pump at each stroke thereof. nbination, a `eingle cylinder pump, a s( dee o'lV motive liuid, a 'faucet controlled delivery system connected to said pump, an air Spring 'for Smoothing out the :loiv in the delivery system between strokes of the pump, a reducing` valve between the source o; motive 'fluid and said air Spring, a Vfloat in Said air spring, a motor operated by reduced preseure prevailing in said air Spring', said motor being,` controlled by said float, and a main valve for the pump governed by the motor to control the effective application ot the Huid to the pump at each 19. ln combination, a source of 'motive lluid', a pump, a :faucet controlled delivey system, an air spr'no connected to said veyetem, said air spring being constantly under pressure, a float in Said air Spring, a controlling valve 'for the pump for controlling the effective application ot motive fluid thereto, said valve being,` located in the Well adjacent the pump, a motor element at the head of the well controlled by said float in the air Spring, and a connection between said motive element and said valve.

20. lin combination, an air spring tank, said tank being` constantly maintained unf der preesui'e, an opening atthe top oi? the tank, a plug 'for Said opening, said plug havin@ a suaaortino rod connected to the lower surface thereof, a float movable on :said supporting` rod, Said plug comprising a `valve, a motor chamber having a movable element, a control valve governing said motor chamber, a movable valve element controlled by the movable motor element, and meaneI controlled by said last named valve for varying the Water level in said tank.

2l. ln combination, a tanlt, a valve body vmounted at the top oi said tank and having a supporting rod projecting into the tank,

BURTGN S. AlKMAN. 

